Habits of the Hedgehog, 109 



found a hedgehog about a furlong from the house, and had 

 severely injured it, I took it, in a bleeding state, into the 

 house. On my wife calling to it, it unfolded itself and made 

 towards her ; but it was too much injured to travel. We laid 

 it in a basket with some clean straw. It is now (Nov. 22.) 

 doing well. A few days ago, one of my neighbours brought 

 me another hedgehog. 1 laid the two down together on a 

 sack, when mine soon unfolded itself, and rubbed its prickles 

 gently against the other ; and afterwards put its nose under 

 it, as if to apprise it that there was no danger. They are now 

 on good terms, and have made their bed for the winter. 



The stomach of a wild hedgehog, killed a good while ago, 

 was examined : it was found to contain principally beetles, 

 and a small portion of grass. — J. D., sen. 



This testimony of the hedgehog's possessing the faculty of 

 hearing in an acute degree, corresponds with the conclusions 

 of C. S. E., in IV. 382., drawn from an examination of the 

 structure of the ear of the hedgehog ; and with those of J. J., 

 in V. 297-8 ; but it disagrees with the conclusion to which 

 Dr. Farrar's observations, in. IV. 13., upon a living hedgehog 

 kept by himself, and his examination of the structure of the 

 ear in two dead ones, had led him. Dr. Farrar has, how- 

 ever, this remark : — " I have consulted many sportsmen and 

 gamekeepers, who all assure me that the hedgehog's sense of 

 hearing is very acute ; but, when they have been closely pressed, 

 whether or not its alarms are received through the organs of 

 vision or hearing, they seem doubtful." (See IV. 13.) 



On the Habits of the Hedgehog, besides the facts which may 

 be gathered from the places indicated, these are stated of it, 

 by Sir William Jardine, in one of his notes to his edition of 

 White's Natural History of Selborne : — It "feeds indiscri- 

 minately on flesh and vegetables ; and is very fond of eggs, 

 doing considerable mischief by destroying game during the 

 breeding season. It will even enter a hen-house, and, when 

 within its reach, will turn off the hens, and devour the eggs. 

 They are frequently caught in traps, baited with eggs, for the 

 carrion crows. They are easily tamed, and become very fa- 

 miliar in a state of confinement, will eat bread, potatoes, fruit, 

 flesh, raw or cooked, without any apparent choice." 



The flesh of the hedgehog is occasionally eaten in England, 

 by poorer persons ; and, I have been told, by gipsies. It is 

 reported to be agreeable meat ; it looks very nice : the fat is 

 of a yellow colour. Mr. Greenhow has informed us (VI. 51].) 

 that the flesh of the allied animal, the Canadian porcupine 

 (ftystrix dorsata), " is considered rather a delicacy by the 

 natives of the countries it inhabits." 



